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As the winter holiday season approaches, you may want to take some steps to spruce up your home before guests visit. One project that should be done before the cold weather arrives is paving your driveway. Generally, the minimum ground and air temperature for paving an asphalt driveway is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything below that causes the material to cool too quickly before it can be properly compacted.
Asphalt driveways provide a convenient, safe surface for driving and walking on. However, they need to be sealed every few years to look their best and lengthen their lifespan. Plus, if you notice cracks, buckling, warping, crumbling, faded color, or sinkage, you’ll know it’s time to pave your driveway again.
But before you rush to hire a pro to pave your driveway with asphalt, you’ll want to fully understand what the project will entail. In addition to the basic questions like how long they’ve been in business, if they are licensed and insured, what exactly the quote will include, and if they offer a warranty, there are some questions that many homeowners might miss. We spoke to an asphalt contractor to identify the top five questions homeowners should ask before hiring a pro to do this project ASAP.
Alex Aukerman, owner of Ox Asphalt in Indianapolis, Indiana, has evaluated, provided quotes for, and completed thousands of asphalt driveways over the years. “We have seen the same asphalt year after year, so we can see the differences in the pavement as it ages and when the drainage, base, and/or compaction problems start to show up,” notes Aukerman.
If he was looking to hire someone to pave his own driveway, here are 5 questions he would ask:
1. What are you doing underneath the asphalt?
Aukerman would want to know how much the contractor plans to remove, what they’ll use for the stone base, how it will be compacted, and what happens if they discover soft ground. “This is where a strong foundation starts, and a cheap contractor can hide and cut corners,” he warns. When this process is completed incorrectly, problems can show up later on.
2. When you quote the asphalt thickness, is that before or after compaction?
High-quality contractors will quote a post-compaction number, while cheap contractors will refer to the pre-compaction number, says Aukerman. “At a minimum, you want to make an apples-to-apples comparison across the bids you receive, and this is a great question to do that.”
3. Can you show me exactly where the water will go?
This is a critical question because the last thing you want is to have a brand-new paved driveway and all the water starts draining into your garage or garden, for example. “You also don’t want water to collect along the edges or drain underneath the pavement,” he says. “Once winter hits and the freeze-thaw cycle begins, these mistakes will be exposed.”
4. Can I see work you completed at least 3 years ago?
Almost all newly paved driveways look great upon completion, but after a few summers and winters battling the elements, the quality of the pavement starts to really show. “If you really want to do your due diligence, ask for the address of a local driveway that was completed and go drive by it to see it in person,” suggests Aukerman.
5. What weather conditions would force you to postpone the job?
If you are trying to get this work done ASAP and beat cold weather’s arrival, asking this question is one way to make sure the contractor is not cutting corners. If they claim the weather doesn’t matter or they use weather as an excuse to not get you on the schedule in time, consider that a red flag.
